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EDITORIALS

Jul 18, 2006

Our very own preemptive option

After North Korea test-fired seven missiles July 5, arguments suddenly began flying within the government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that Japan should consider developing the capability to strike a foreign missile base if there is an imminent threat of an attack on Japan.

EDITORIALS

Jul 17, 2006

A guy, a paper clip and the Internet

It's tempting to forget about finding a larger meaning in the story of Kyle MacDonald and to just sit back and enjoy it. Mr. MacDonald is the 26-year-old Canadian blogger who has rocketed from Internet cult figure to mainstream news item since he pulled off a remarkable bartering feat recently, trading...

EDITORIALS

Jul 16, 2006

Escalation need not be inevitable

The sickening downward spiral of violence in the Middle East continues. Last week, Hezbollah, the militant Shiite Muslim group, opened a second front against Israel by launching a border attack from southern Lebanon. The action appeared to copy an earlier raid by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

EDITORIALS

Jul 15, 2006

Mr. Putin takes center stage

Leaders of the G8 countries — the United States, Britain, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia — will gather in St. Petersburg over the weekend for their annual summit. In the beautiful city, which Emperor Peter the Great founded in 1703 as his "window on the West," Russian President...

EDITORIALS

Jul 14, 2006

Moral boost for Mr. Putin

Russia's most wanted man is dead. Shamil Basayev, the leader of Chechen rebels who has masterminded acts of terror that have claimed hundreds of lives, was killed this week in an explosion. His death is a victory for the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a blow to the cause Basayev headed;...

EDITORIALS

Jul 13, 2006

Mr. Ozawa makes the right moves

Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa's efforts to convince the public that his and his party's policies significantly differ from those of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and the Liberal Democratic Party are taking concrete shape, especially in foreign policy. He is embracing the principle...

EDITORIALS

Jul 13, 2006

Problems go beyond data falsification

The criminal investigation into the falsification of earthquake-resistance data for buildings, which surfaced in November 2005 and shook the nation, has ended with the indictment of disgraced structure designer Mr. Hidetsugu Aneha and several other people. The investigation's outcome shows the issue...

EDITORIALS

Jul 12, 2006

Crisis for the WTO

A nother attempt to revive the Doha Round of international trade negotiations has failed. Unable to find common ground on agricultural issues, some 60 trade ministers -- less than half the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) -- cut short efforts recently to break the deadlock in Geneva. Before...

EDITORIALS

Jul 11, 2006

Independent judgment in doubt

The public controversy over Bank of Japan Gov. Toshihiko Fukui's 10 million yen investment in a fund led by maverick fund manager Mr. Yoshiaki Murakami, revealed in mid-June, has yet to die down. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party take the position that Mr. Fukui...

EDITORIALS

Jul 11, 2006

Japanese icon to leave the field

Mr. Hidetoshi Nakata, a key playmaker for Japan's national soccer team, has announced that he will retire from the sport as a professional. This international midfielder and national superstar has contributed much to the upsurge in popularity of soccer among Japanese since the mid-1990s.

EDITORIALS

Jul 9, 2006

A hero some find hard to swallow

Once again, Japan's Takeru Kobayashi has pulled off the dubious feat of winning the annual U.S. Independence Day hot-dog eating contest at New York's Coney Island. Mr. Kobayashi took home his sixth straight Yellow Mustard Belt by downing 53 3/4 fat-, sodium- and nitrate-laden frankfurters in 12 minutes...

EDITORIALS

Jul 8, 2006

At last, a statement for the record

To prepare for the start of the lay judge system in May 2009, the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office has decided to make audio and video recordings, on a trial basis, of the confessions and interrogations of criminal suspects. The trial period will run from this month to yearend. The SPPO will later...

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.

What comes after 100?

By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones

Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones

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